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Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Covert narcissism and Proverbs 16:5 — misunderstanding grace; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Giant Mushroom Tree is being diagnosed with covert narcissistic personality disorder and fears Proverbs 16:5 means they are unsavable.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Proverbs 16:5 repentance pride grace
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Hardened heart and repentance — how to break callousness and return to closeness with God

Final question: someone says their heart has become hard through continued rebellion, they no longer feel sorry, and they miss living close to Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:13 Psalm 34:18 Psalm 51:17 repentance sanctification 1 Corinthians 10:13
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

Mark 8 feeding of 4000: disciples may not have expected another miracle because Jesus did not multiply food at every meal; also, Jewish messianic expectation may not have extended to feeding Gentiles

Responding to why the disciples in Mark 8 seem unaware that Jesus had already fed 5000 in Mark 6

Mark 6 Mark 8 Gentiles Feeding of the 4000 Mark 6
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

Ephesians 5:25-32 — the mystery of marriage as a typological picture of Christ and the church, rooted in the Adam-Eve narrative.

Discussing the "mystery" Paul refers to in Ephesians 5:32 while addressing the Vulgate question.

Ephesians 5:25-32 John 19:34 Christ and the Church typology Adam and Eve
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

Matthew 7:13-14 — the narrow gate refers to the demanding and counter-cultural teachings of Christ, not to a works-salvation effort; few receive it because most reject it.

Jilly Bean from Finland asks what the narrow gate means in practice.

Matthew 7:13-14 discipleship salvation Sermon on the Mount
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

The Canaanite genocide: why God commanded Israel to kill rather than drive out or convert

Question from Lindsey Kelso about the moral difficulty of God commanding Israel to kill thousands of Canaanites.

Deuteronomy / Joshua conquest texts Theodicy Children and salvation Canaanite conquest
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Christians financially support entertainment content they watch, making passive viewing of blasphemy morally problematic even if personally unaffected.

Continued Q1 discussion on watching movies that use God's name in vain.

entertainment and media financial complicity blasphemy
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Loving neighbors in restricted-mobility times means reorienting attitude and creativity, not relying on physical proximity.

Q15 from Joel Holmberg: how can we love our neighbor and honor God when we cannot congregate (COVID-era context)?

love your neighbor community and congregation COVID-era church life
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Spiritual doubt overcome through volitional trust: Mike's personal testimony of months of intellectual and emotional doubt resolved by choosing to trust God regardless of feelings.

Q17 from Healthy Bleach: feeling cut off from God, wondering if prayer is talking to oneself, if faith is wishful thinking.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Genesis flood narrative Proverbs 3:5-6 perseverance spiritual dryness
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Scripture permits self-defense and defense of innocent others; military service can be just, but soldiers retain moral responsibility to refuse unjust orders.

Q18 from Zane Potter: is a willingness to fight for one's country compatible with faith in Jesus? Is there scriptural provision for self-preservation in home invasion or foreign threats?

self-defense (biblical) just war theory military service
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Was Christianity guilty of impeding science and critical thinking? No — authentic Christianity supports scientific inquiry

Q3 from Adidam Ayaji: Was Christianity guilty of impeding critical thinking and exploring the cosmos and natural world?

creation faith and reason natural law
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Using secular music in worship: not wrong in principle, but wisdom demands sensitivity to the congregation

Q13 from Rohin John: What are your thoughts on using secular music with half secular and half Jesus-focused lyrics as worship?

worship music secular music pastoral wisdom
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Are individuals made by God? Yes — through both direct soul creation and divine foreknowledge/providential design

Q16 from Mary Strickland: How do I know I personally was made by God if I was conceived out of sin through ordinary biology?

Jeremiah 1:5 Jeremiah 1:5 foreknowledge divine providence
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

The NT reliably narrates events where Jesus was alone — he could have told disciples, and Holy Spirit aided gospel authors

Q19 from Stephen Richeson: How do we know the NT is reliable for events where Jesus was alone, such as the temptation in the wilderness or Gethsemane?

John 14:26 eyewitness testimony Holy Spirit inspiration temptation of Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

How to determine transcultural vs. culturally-bound biblical instructions

Anonymous listener (username: "hi pastor mike") asks how to distinguish timeless biblical commands from culturally-specific ones.

Ephesians Acts 15 Ephesians Acts 15 Proof-texting
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Molinism explained and distinguished from determinism

Listener Solomon Dahlberg asks whether on Molinism people's choices depend only on circumstances God places them in, and if so why doesn't God make everyone believe.

Molinism Free will Avengers: Infinity War
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Deuteronomy 22 rape law — two scenarios and the woman's protection

Listener Christy Courts' friend claims Deuteronomy 22 shows flawed teaching. Mike defends the passage.

Deuteronomy 22:23-27 Mosaic law Deuteronomy 22:23-27 Rape law
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-30

Putting out a fleece (asking God for a sign) is not inherently wrong but carries dangers of presumption and heart projection.

Question 5 from AZF Stories about whether Christians should ask for signs like Gideon's fleece.

Judges 6 Gideon signs Judges 6
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-30

Mark 5 demoniac: Jesus was not tricked by the demons; the swine destruction may have been demonic sabotage that God repurposed for good.

Question 16 from Galushkin about whether Jesus or the demons were tricked in the Gerasene demoniac account.

Mark 5:1-20 Gerasene demoniac Gentile mission demon possession
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-12

Guest Braxton Hunter (president of Trinity Seminary, PhD) introduces the Kalam cosmological argument and explains its ultimate payoff: reasoning toward what the cause of the universe must be like.

Introduction to the Kalam — what it gets you

Kalam cosmological argument Braxton Hunter Kalam cosmological argument
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-12

Objection: this only gets you to generic theism, not the Christian God. Response: each attribute (spaceless, timeless, etc.) was justified, not ad hoc; the Kalam is meant to be followed by evidence for the resurrection to identify the God.

Objection — doesn't prove the Christian God

Kalam cosmological argument cumulative case apologetics Kalam cosmological argument
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-12

Q&A: How to test if a financial blessing is from God. Look at whether it came through godliness, follow biblical prayer principles (asking in God's will, not selfish motives), and use money to seek God's kingdom first.

Q&A — financial blessings and stewardship

prayer prayer financial stewardship
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-08

John McCrae adds: our sin nature explains interpretive divergence — we read preferences into Scripture. The Bible calls us to strive for truth (narrow gate), which makes the relationship with Christ richer. Drew's question is really just the problem of evil focused on one aspect.

Additional response to Q1 — sin nature and striving

John McCrae hermeneutics hermeneutics sin nature
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-08

Drew claims religious people invented doctrines to morally justify killing animals. John turns this around: on Drew's evolutionary morality, survival-promoting beliefs ARE morality — so religion doing this would be moral by his own framework. Also, most non-religious people eat meat too, so religion isn't the explanation.

Response to Q3 — evolutionary morality is self-defeating

animal suffering evolutionary morality
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-08

Christianity would be the worst survival-promoting religion if it were invented for that purpose — it teaches loving enemies, not retaliating, turning the other cheek. Early Christians were pacifists for 300 years. This contradicts the "made up for survival" hypothesis.

Response to Q3 — Christianity is anti-survival by design

1 Peter 2:21-23 evolutionary morality early church pacifism 1 Peter 2:21-23
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-19

Scientific consensus: 95% of 5,502 biologists from 1,050 institutions affirm human life begins at fertilization, including pro-choice and atheist biologists. Bernard Nathanson (co-founder of NARAL) confirmed the early embryo is indisputably a human being.

When does human life begin — scientific consensus

Bernard Nathanson NARAL when life begins
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-19

Terms like "zygote," "fetus," and "embryo" are used to dehumanize the child in the womb, just as dehumanizing labels were used in other human rights atrocities. Mike shares his college experience debating his professor on these terms.

Dehumanization through terminology

dehumanization abortion euphemisms
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-19

The pro-choice movement needs a victim (the pregnant woman) to distract from the real victim (the baby). This is a propaganda tactic seen in every historical atrocity — the oppressors create an alternative victim narrative.

Propaganda tactic: creating a counter-victim

Isaiah 5:20 Isaiah 5:20 Isaiah 5:20 pro-choice propaganda Isaiah 5:20
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-26

Q&A: Losing virginity doesn't eliminate the point of sexual purity going forward. The principle of "I already blew it so why bother" would justify stealing cars forever after the first theft. Sexual faithfulness continues to matter after sexual failure.

Q&A — sexual purity after failure

sexual purity sexual purity
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-26

Q&A: Pro-lifers don't need to provide free healthcare to oppose murder. You don't need to build houses for Jews to say stop the Holocaust. The life-of-the-mother exception: if both will die, save whoever you can — this is triage, not elective abortion. Some doctors say this scenario essentially never happens in practice.

Q&A — healthcare burden and life of the mother

abortion pro-life life of the mother exception
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-26

Q&A: Luke 14:33 ("renounce all you have") and Luke 12:33 ("sell your possessions") are hyperbolic expressions of total dedication to Jesus, not literal commands for universal poverty. Lydia continued her business after conversion and used profits to support missionaries.

Q&A — sell everything and follow Jesus

Luke 14:33 Luke 12:33 Luke 14:33 Luke 12:33 Lydia (seller of purple)
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-04

Q: Is the Book of Mormon right? No. It lacks theology (just a long story), but fails on historical/archaeological claims: horses in pre-Columbian Americas, weapons and materials that didn't exist, no verifiable rivers/mountains/civilizations. Not a single Book of Mormon claim has been archaeologically confirmed, unlike the Bible.

Q&A — Book of Mormon

Mormonism Book of Mormon Mormonism
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

The Hebrew word "erets" (earth) rarely means the whole planet. Genesis 1:10: God called dry land "earth." Genesis 11:1: "the whole earth" means all people. Genesis 13:6: "the land" couldn't support Abraham and Lot — obviously local, not planetary. Most flat earth arguments collapse once you understand this word.

The word "earth" (erets) doesn't mean planet

biblical cosmology flat earth biblical cosmology
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

Refuting Dean Odel's claim that Job 38:14 describes a flat earth stamped like clay under a signet ring. Problems: (1) the seal is a cylinder seal rolled over clay, not a ring pressed flat; (2) the missing word "changed" shows this is about daily sunrise revealing contours, not cosmological design; (3) the context is about wicked hiding at night and being exposed at dawn.

Job 38:14 — cylinder seal, not flat stamp

Job 38:14 flat earth Job 38:14 cylinder seal
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

The OT sacrificial system was a dress rehearsal for the cross. Israel given the law → failed repeatedly → sacrifices provided forgiveness and fellowship. Jesus fulfills this: lives a perfect life, dies sacrificially in our place (Matthew 26:28 — blood of the covenant poured out for forgiveness of sins), and rises from the dead as proof of victory and eternal life.

The cross — sacrifice and resurrection

Matthew 26:28 substitutionary atonement OT sacrificial system Matthew 26:28
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

Building a case for Jesus's miracles with kids: (1) If God exists, miracles are possible — this is a worldview starting point. (2) Earliest sources (Mark) describe a miracle-working Jesus — 40% of Mark's narrative involves miracles. (3) No sources describe a non-miracle-working Jesus. (4) Miracles are integrally woven into the narrative — you can't remove them without the story collapsing. (5) Virtually all historians agree Jesus drew large crowds doing something remarkable. (6) The resurrection is the central miracle with significant historical evidence.

Case for Jesus's miracles — for kids

1 Corinthians 15:14 Gary Habermas Gospel of Mark Gospel of Mark
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Points 1-2: (1) A sacrificial lamb — Jesus is the lamb offered for us (Hebrews 9:12-14, 10:1-14). OT sacrifices were shadows; Jesus is the reality. He offered himself ONCE vs yearly repetition. (2) Purpose: avoiding punishment for sin — Passover was explicitly a judgment (Exodus 12:12). Israel needed the lamb too because they were also guilty of idolatry (Ezekiel 20:7). The cross saves us from God's wrath.

Points 1-2 — sacrificial lamb and dealing with sin

Exodus 12 Hebrews 9:12-14 Hebrews 10:1-14 wrath of God substitutionary atonement wrath of God
Mike Winger idea 2020-05-21

Gospel contradictions: Williams argues the burden of proof is on the person claiming two accounts CAN'T fit together, not on the believer to provide the exact harmonization. The Judas death example (Matthew: hanged; Acts: fell and burst open) — multiple scenarios fit both descriptions. Ancient reporting conventions (no quotation marks, different summarization styles, legal naming conventions) explain most alleged contradictions.

Gospel contradictions — burden of proof and Judas

burden of proof Bart Ehrman Bart Ehrman
Mike Winger idea 2020-05-21

Why the gospels can't be explained as deliberate fabrication: (1) No scholar — even skeptics — proposes collusion between gospel writers as a serious hypothesis. (2) The gospels contain brilliant parables (Good Samaritan, Prodigal Son) recognized as among the greatest short stories ever told — you can't manufacture genius by wanting to. (3) The simplest explanation for one amazing storyteller across multiple accounts is that Jesus himself was the storyteller.

Against fabrication — parables and genius

parables of Jesus gospel reliability Good Samaritan
Mike Winger idea 2020-06-19

Follow-up to Mike's 200+ hours of research and 3-hour teaching on divorce and remarriage. He combed through 1,000+ comments and selected 29 issues to address — questions, pushback, and scenarios he hadn't covered.

Introduction — divorce/remarriage follow-up

divorce and remarriage
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Argument 2 — Multiple attestation: Mike Licona found 19+ passages across Mark, M (Matthew-only), L (Luke-only), and John independently attesting Jesus's death/resurrection predictions. Historians consider TWO independent sources "pay dirt" — this has far more. Jesus's prayer in Gethsemane (knowing he'll die) is in Mark 14, Matthew 26, and Luke 22 independently.

Argument 2 — multiple independent attestation

Mike Licona multiple attestation Mike Licona
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Theological insight from the predictions: Jesus saw his death as purposeful sacrifice, not tragedy. He predicted specifics: delivered to chief priests, condemned, handed to Gentiles, mocked, spit on, scourged, killed — and rise three days later. Progressive Christians who reject substitutionary atonement must explain why Jesus described his death as sacrificial and purposeful in his own words. The predictions show Jesus understood himself as Isaiah's Suffering Servant.

Theological insight — purposeful sacrifice, not tragic death

Mark 10:32-34 Mark 10:45 Suffering Servant substitutionary atonement progressive Christianity
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-18

Survey of Mark showing Jesus consistently correcting false messianic expectations: (1) Mark 1:8 — baptize with Holy Spirit, not raise armies. (2) Mark 1:11 — beloved Son (sacrifice imagery from Genesis 22). (3) Mark 1:15 — repent and believe, not take up arms. (4) Jesus's ministry: exorcisms and healings, not political conquest — the enemy is Satan, not Rome; the problem is sin, not occupation. (5) Jesus sends crowds away instead of rallying them for war. The whole Gospel of Mark is about fixing these expectations.

Survey of Mark — correcting messianic expectations

Mark Series Genesis 22 (Isaac) Mark 1:8 Mark Series false messianic expectations Genesis 22 (Isaac)
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-21

Advice for a new missionary to Japan: (1) Don't go alone — attach yourself to other believers and protect those relationships; Satan will target them. (2) Long-term missions requires patience — it's years of investment, not quick results. (3) Your impact ripples through generations even if it feels small. The lives you change will change other lives for decades.

Missionary advice — Japan

long-term missions
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-31

Psalm 118:24-28 contains a compressed gospel narrative: Hosanna (save now), the festival sacrifice bound to the altar (Christ crucified), and then "You are MY God" — relationship through sacrifice.

Continued Psalm 118 exposition with gospel typology

Psalm 118:24-28 songs of ascent Psalm 118:24-28 festival sacrifice hosanna
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-15

Argument 3 — Nietzsche's "atheism is instinctual" — backfires because sociological research shows religious belief is actually natural and atheism must be trained. Also applies a double standard on evidence.

Third argument from Nietzsche: atheism as instinct

circular reasoning atheism Matt Dillahunty
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-28

The claim "it's always God's will to heal sickness" is arbitrary — the apostles themselves suffered illness (Timothy's stomach issues, Trophimus left sick, Epaphroditus nearly died) while doing miracles.

Refuting the Word of Faith claim that sickness is never God's will

2 Timothy 4:20 1 Timothy 5:23 1 Peter 4:19 thorn in the flesh 2 Timothy 4:20 Word of Faith
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-05

Jesus's two options — "from heaven or from men" — establish a "sola heaven" principle: heavenly authority doesn't need earthly institutional approval. John didn't get Sanhedrin permission; neither does Jesus.

The theological implications of Jesus's binary question

Mark 7:8-9 sola scriptura Mark 7:8-9 sola scriptura
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-19

Mark 12:13-17 ("Render to Caesar") is one of the most political NT passages — the Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus with a question about the poll tax, and Jesus's answer gives principles for Christian politics.

Introduction to Mark Series pt 47 on the tribute to Caesar

Mark 12:13-17 Mark series render to Caesar Mark 12:13-17 render to Caesar
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-19

The trap: Pharisees and Herodians (sent by the Sanhedrin) use flattery to pressure Jesus into a direct yes/no answer. They want either criminal charges (sedition) or depopularization (alienating zealot followers).

Analysis of the trap question setup in Mark 12:13-16

Mark 12:13-17 Acts 5:37 Proverbs 29:5 Josephus Josephus Sanhedrin
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